This Jewish Apple Cake is a MUST for your fall baking list. It’s a dense, moist cake that’s loaded with cinnamon sugar-coated apples that make for the perfect fall dessert! And the recipe is super easy too!
Where are all my apple-picking friends??
‘Tis the season to grab your basket, get picking and get your bake on folks.
Of course, I hope you try all the desserts here at the BHK, but if there is one dessert you absolutely should not miss this fall, it’s this Jewish Apple Cake.
I’ve mentioned before that I really don’t like to say anything I whip up in my little kitchen is the BEST ever. Too much pressure.
But guess what folks? I’m going there. This cake is the BEST EVER!
So who’s already familiar with this tasty little cake?
If it’s new to you, here’s a little info about it.
What is a Jewish Apple Cake?
The Jewish Apple Cake originated in Poland. It’s a very popular cake in Pennsylvania.
In fact, it’s a cake that is often served in Jewish cooking especially during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
And it’s traditionally made without dairy products.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
It’s the perfect recipe for all the apples you’ll be picking this fall season.
The warm apple/cinnamon flavor gives this cake all the cozy vibes.
It’s a moist, dense cake that takes no time to prep and is delicious enjoyed as a dessert, but also perfect with your morning tea or coffee. I mean it’s loaded with fruit, so I think we can all agree anything with fruit can be considered a breakfast food.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- gala apples
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- vegetable oil
- orange juice
- vanilla
- eggs
I had my first taste of Jewish apple cake years back when our good neighbor Jane shared one with us.
I was hooked ever since and there’s not a fall that goes by that I don’t make it.
Jane made hers in a loaf pan. I make mine in a tube pan. I use this tube pan.
This cozy fall cake is dense and moist and loaded with apples coated in cinnamon sugar.
It’s honestly perfect for dessert or dare I say maybe even breakfast with a cup of tea?
I really hope you guys add this one to your baking list this fall. I just know you’d really love it. Enjoy!
A few other fall favorite desserts here at the BHK are my Apple Pie Spice Drop Cookies, my Cinnamon Sugared Pumpkin Fritters and my Chai Spiced Pund Cake with Brown Butter Glaze.
A Few Cook’s Notes for Jewish Apple Cake
I used a tube pan for this recipe, but you could also use a plain bundt pan, like the Nordic Ware Anniversary pan. I would not use a bundt pan with an intricate pattern.
Make sure to coat your tube pan generously with nonstick cooking spray with flour for easy removal.
More Delicious Fall Desserts to Enjoy
Applesauce Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Mini Pumpkin Praline Upside Down Cakes
Jewish Apple Cake
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 4 1/2 cups Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
Cake
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a tube pan with nontick cooking spray with flour. Set aside.In a large bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup granulated sugar and two teaspoons cinnamon. Add the apple chunks and toss until well coated. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
- Add a quarter of the batter to the prepared tube pan. Add a third of the apple chunks. Repeat two more times and end with the last quarter of the batter. Bake for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until pick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Mine was done in 1 hour exactly. Remove cake from oven to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. When cake is cool, remove from tube pan to a serving plate.
Notes
- I used a tube pan for this recipe, but you could also use a plain bundt pan, like the Nordic Ware Anniversary pan. I would not use a bundt pan with an intricate pattern.
- Make sure to coat your tube pan generously with nonstick cooking spray with flour for easy removal.
I love apple cakes, this one will make people happy at home. Thank you for all your delicious recipes !!!
Thanks to your site, I have improved my way of cooking a lot, they are all delighted. Many thanks
There’s just something special about a fall apple cake! So happy you enjoy them too. And thank you so much for following the blog. So happy you enjoy it!!
Such a lovely cake, Mary Ann! Love how loaded with apples it is. I bet this smells as good as it tastes! Pinned :)
t really does Dawn! Such a special fall treat!
One of my favorite cakes. Caution: May be addicting. 😁
That’s great to hear Carla! I love this one too and YES addictive for sure!
Could I use up some McIntosh apples or would they be too soft? Thanks for your delicious recipes….:)
Hi Lise. I’m not sure the McIntosh apples would stand up to the heat as well. I’d opt for Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp.
This recipe is an absolute MUST for Thanksgiving/Christmas for me. My mom made the recipe for many many years. I think she got it from a magazine. To answer your question about Macs – they work perfect. Thats what she always used. In fact I live in the Pacific Northwest now (we are from the northeast) and mcintosh are quite difficult to find here – and there is a short window in late October/early November to find them. So I always scoop them up when I find them for this recipe. I’ve tried other apples but none of them taste “like Mom made it”
Hope you give the recipe a try Steven! My family and friends LOVE this cake!
What a lovely cake! I never tire of baking with apples, but they are especially nice this time of year. Love the smell of it baking to fill the house :)
I love apple picking season Jennifer! So many options!
This looks delicious and is on my list to make! Right now I’m into everything with apples. I can’t wait to make!
I’ve been all about the apples lately, Mary Ann! This got me so excited. I will have to make it soon, while all of the delicious apples are in season!! :)
I know most people are crazy for pumpkin, but for me fall is all about the apples! I absolutely LOVE them!! And, this cake is just screaming my name!!! I can’t wait to make this… and I’m probably going to bathe it in salted caramel, because I have a small obsession with apples and caramel. :) YUMMY!!! Pinned!
I love that the apples are coated! Like you – I’m all about the apples! This looks amazing! I can imagine its aroma as it bakes! :)
I adore dense, moist cakes, Mary Ann! I’ve never had Jewish Apple Cake, but clearly that needs to change. This looks incredible~
Oh myyyy, Mare! What a lovely and moist cake! I can see why you’d call it the best. Absolutely scrumptious! Thank you for sharing!
Just made this again for some girlfriends and it was a total hit!!
This is one cake type that I have not tried yet. Although I clearly should – your results are stunning!
It’s fabulous Helena! Loaded with apples and cozy cinnamon flavor.
I found my batter very thick and not like picture…any suggestions
The batter is sort of thick Linda. You just have to make sure you use large eggs and don’t over pack your flour when measuring. Let me know how it turns out. It’s one of my favorites!
I made this cake and felt that I didn’t have enough batter so I made an extra half batch and added it. The cake was delicious! Please can you comment on the beater that you used, as I want to make it again tomorrow.
Hi Cheryl. The batter will rise in the pan. Mine fit perfectly in my tube pan. I mixed everything by hand. No beater needed! Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! Mine turned out great but how do I make it moist? Or more moist I should say.
Hi Ellie. Make sure you’re not overbaking it. Everyone’s oven is a bit different. Mine took one hour to bake. Start checking at one hour.
Can I make it Wednesday for Friday night dinner?
Hi Andrea. Yes, this cake will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. About an hour or so remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temp before serving. Enjoy!
This cake turned out perfectly (just like the pictures)and tasted AMAZING. I used Goodland apples from my tree. The harvest this year was bountiful and I was starting to get tired of apple desserts, but now I have a favourite I am sure make over and over. So soft and tender. Delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Ingrid! It’s my favorite cake for apple season. My neighbor used to make it for us years ago in a loaf form and I’ve been making it in my tube pan for my family now for years. Thanks so much for leaving a comment! XO
I was concerned about all the oil/fat so I used half cup oil and half cup applesauce and it came out DELICIOUS! Great recipe. Making it again this afternoon! (Btw I found you/the recipe in Costco’s magazine! Such a treat!)
So glad you found and tried the recipe Ellie! That’s a great change up. Thanks for sharing!
My maternal grandparents were from Poland. My mom was the youngest of fourteen. She and a few of her sisters would make this cake. I would help to make it and have made it myself as a child. My mom died when I was fifteen. The first and last time I made the cake after her death…it burned, as I had been dancing on a bar and made it after work and fell asleep…I was so mad with myself. But, now at 60…a friend told me today that I was invited for dinner on Saturday…and a man that likes my cakes is going to be there(and I just can’t not show up without a cake) and with it being fall and all…I am going to make this. I can taste it in mind. Other than that time I burnt it…this cake consistently came out the same…so moist, flavorful and delicious. Speaking of delicious…we even used red delicious apples….it was all there was back then besides granny smiths, which we never used. I can’t wait! Oh…I no longer dance on the bar…if you were wondering. 🤔
So happy you found the recipe Scott. My neighbor made this recipe in a loaf pan often for us years back and we loved it, so I tweaked her recipe for the tube pan. I hope everyone enjoys it! I’m guessing it might be best to belly up to the bar and enjoy a cocktail instead of dancing on it! Lol!
Hello Mary Ann, I am planning on making your Jewish Apple Cake, but my gas oven is not working at this time can I make it in my Vortex Plus 10 quart air fryer, and if I can what temperature and cooking times need to be adjusted.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you might have in this alternate baking method.
Hi Kathy. I have only tried this recipe in my oven, so I’m not really sure about baking it in an air fryer. I just got an air fryer a few weeks ago, so I’m still testing the waters with it. Let me know if you try it in your air fryer.
Mary Ann, Thank you for replying I’ve been using the air fryer more lately & I will let you know how it works for your Jewish Apple Cake.
Thanks so much Kathy!
Can I split the batter into 2-3 loaf pans instead of tube pan?
Yes, but you will have to modify your baking time and make sure not to fill your loaf pans to the top, just about 2/3 full so they don’t overflow. I would still bake at 350 degrees, but I would check the loaves around 35-40 minutes to check their progress. Enjoy!
This recipe looks DELICIOUS. I am diabetic and always worried about the sugar and oil in baked goods.
Before I start to experiment, do you have any suggestions for cutting down the sugar, and the oil as well, to have the cake be more of a breakfast treat than a dessert treat? I did see the one comment about substituting apple sauce for oil.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi Kathleen. I did like the idea of substituting the oil with applesauce but haven’t tried that yet. You could also probably lower the sugar a bit, maybe to 1 1/2 cups and see how that works. Keep me posted.
I found the batter quite thick and did not spread easily in the layers. Maybe adding something like a 1/4 or 1/3 cup of milk would help.
The batter is thick, but it will turn out perfectly. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and it was so delicious I am making it again next weekend for a family event!
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Amanda! Glad you enjoyed it!
Maryann, I want to make this cake in a loaf pan. What changes should I make to the recipe? Should I halve the ingredients and bake the cake for a shorter time? Thank you for the recipe and any advice you can give me.
Hi Yolanda. I’ve only tested this in the tube pan, so I can’t really say for sure. If you made it in a loaf pan, you’d only fill the pan about 2/3-3/4 full so it doesn’t overflow, maybe making an additional smaller loaf or using the extra batter for muffins? If you bake at 350 degrees, I would test the loaf around 55 minutes. When a tester comes out clean, it’s done. Let me know!
Thanks, MaryAnn! The cake was delicious! I halved the recipe and baked it in a loaf pan for about 40 minutes. The cakes is so very flavorful and moist. It was a hit with my family!